Railroad-car brake



A. HIGLEY.

Car Starter;

Patented Aug. 14. 1866.

N. PETERS, PHOTO LTHOGRA WASHINGTON u C UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

AARON HIGLEY, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-CAR BRAKE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,133, dated August14, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. HIGLEY, of South Bend, in the county of St.Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railroad Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and complete description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view.Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is an end View. Figs. 4 and 5 are detachedsections that will be referred to in the description.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

In describing the device of the braking operation at one end it issubstantially the same as the other, being constructed and operatedexactly alike. When the car is going in the direction indicated by thearrow the Windlass G is used, operating the braking device at theopposite end B, and when going in the other direction the Windlass G isused, which opcrates the apparatus at the end B.

In the drawings, A represents the frame; A, the pedestals in which theshafts a of the wheels B have their bearings. O is a framework connectedto the shaft of the wheels, and to which some of the apparatus forbraking the car is connected, this frame being held in place on theshaft by means of the collars a. On the shaft 0, and near the center, isa friction-clutch coupling, D, D being the shell and D the cone. To theside of the shell is fastened the ratchet-wheel b, the shell and ratchetbeing permanently attached to the shaft a and turning with it, while thecone D and pulleys on each side are loose, the clutchpnlleys E E turningin the opposite direction from the wheels and shell whenin operation.

I is a dog pivoted to. the pulley E, and one end of which catches in theratchet b.

E is a pulley, close to the ratchet-on the shaft (1, on which the chainc is wound. A pulley, E, next to this, from which the chain d is unwoundas the spring (1 takes up the slack, which will be referred to indescribing the operation. I

F is a pulley forming part of the cone which takes up the chain c.

F is a lever, pivoted to the frame at z, and is connected totheclutch-leverG by means of the link f, the end of the lever G beingpivoted at i to the frame, the end clutching round the groove 1) in thecone, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 4 being a side view with the shaftand wheel cut away.

From the end of the lever F extends a rope or chain, g. to the shaft fof the Windlass G, which is turned in braking the car.

H is a bar that rests or has its bearings in the ends of the frame 0.Round this bar is coiled the spring H, at the end of which is a swivel,I, to which the chains 0 e are connected that wind round the pulleys, asstated, being operated as follows: When it is desired to stop the carthe Windlass G is turned, winding the chain 9 around the shaft f Thispulls the lever F back, thus drawing the end of the clutch-lever towhich the link f is connected close to the frame 0. The other end of thelever, being pivoted to the frame, as stated, forces the clutch along,and this, hitting against the pulley F, forces the cone D into the shellD so tightly and creating so much friction that when the wheels areturning the cone and pulley F of said cone turn with them, when, if thecone was not held so firmly in the shell, it would not turn at all; butas itturns with the wheels the chain c, which is attached to said pulleyF and the swivel I, will wind round this pulley and the chain 0,connected to the other side of said swivel, and be taken up by thepulley E, thus contracting the spring H.

If the pulleyE did not turn when the spring H is contracted the chain 0would be very slack. To prevent this a spring, 01, is connected to theside of the frame, and a chain, d, passing round the pulley E, beingattached to the end of the spring. As the spring H is contracted, asdescribed, the spring (1 will contract, unwinding the chain (1 from thepulley E, thus tnrnin g the pulleys E E in the oppositedirection fromthe wheels, and, the slack of the chain 0 will be wound round the pulleyE. Thus the spring (1 takes up the slack by contracting, and the end ofthe dog I will catch in the ratchet b by the action of the spring aunder the other end of the dog, the Windlass being held from turning bythe ordinary means. Thus the wheels are stopped, not being able to turnin I the least, and a portion of the force expended in braking theitn isheld in reserve, so as to be employed in starting the car after it isstopped.

When the Windlass is allowed to turn the spring H expands in thedirection that the car is going, and the clutch-leverwill he forced back5 from the frame by means of a spring, m, in

said frame. This lever beingforced back, the clutch will move the coneout of thesh'ell again, 5 and the spring H expanding, the chainsconnectecl to the swivel and pulleys will move I back with it, thusturning'the pulleys oh the shaft, and the dog being pivoted to thepulley. E and catching in the ratchet b ofthe shell when the 'p'ulleysjturn, the log Will aid in turning the wheels. Thus thecars can "beStarted very'as'ily.

" In 'wincling'upthe'chaitfs the resistance "of wheels, and in this waythe braking of the car is accomplished.

What I claim as my improvement, and (lesi-re to secure by LettersPatent, is-

Witnesses W. H. BURRTDGE, J. Homlm's.

